An idiom referring to a gesture with the hands and fingers used to specify the form that is about to be performed.

Comments:

Signifying is done by placing a flat open hand (known as the backstop hand) vertical to the ground (fingers pointing downward), at waist height (chamber position), on the same side, and palm forward with the other hand placed parallel with the ground (i.e. perpendicular to the backstop hand), palm facing the backstop hand, and finger(s) signifying the form. The exceptions to this are forms above Form Five. For those forms the backstop hand is placed inverted (fingers pointing upward) and at shoulder height with the signifying hand placed parallel to the backstop hand.

The fingers of the signifying hand indicates which form is being executed - the number of finger representing the form. For short forms, the finger(s) are bent in half, for long forms the fingers are left straight. Signifying any form above Form Five is done by subtracting five - i.e. one finger represents six, etc.

Signifying is usually done along with a salutation during tournament competition and/or formal events.

Signifying derives from the fact that in early tournament competition (prior to the 1970's) is was not admissible for a competitor to talk to the officiating judges. Therefore, in order to inform the judges and audience which form was to be performed, the signification maneuver was created.

Signifying on both sides can mean one of two things: 1) that the form will be performed on both sides 2) that the signifier wishes observers on both sides of their body to see the signification.

Having the signifying hand touch the backstop hand can mean one of two things: 1) that the form being performed will be a modification from the standard version 2) that the form is above Form Four.

Example(s):

A signification with a backstop hand and two fingers bent over it, signifies that the form to be performed is Short Form Two.

Related Definition(s):

Backstop, Chamber, Form, Forward, Height, Idiom, Kata, Position, Salutation, Tournament, Telegraph

Related Term(s):

Combat Arena, Environmental Condition